Digital Camera World Verdict
Costing just $30, I didn't have very high hopes from this miniature digital camera. But the Charmera turns out to be a charmer by nature, as well as by name. Sure the images it shoots are not very good - but to be honest, they are much, much better than I had expected. The photos are very reminiscent of those from early camera phones - and more than capable of providing a decent record. What's more as a keychain camera, it really can be taken anywhere.
Pros
- +
Low-cost fun
- +
Super small size
- +
Reusable, with USB-C charging
- +
Built-in LCD screen
Cons
- -
Micro SD memory card costs extra
- -
You can't pick your favorite design
- -
Low-quality images and video
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Kodak cameras have been enjoying a big comeback over the last year or so – leading the resurgence in the popu;arity of super-affordable compact cameras. The Kodak Charmera is the latest in its quest to bring retro fun to photographer.
The Kodak Charmera is not made by the same company as cameras such as the best-selling Kodak PixPro FZ45 or the brand's bridge cameras. Instead, the Charmera has been produced by another Kodak licensee - Reto Production - who is the company that previously brought us the Kodak Ektar H35 half-frame film camera.
This time, Reto has produced an ultra-low-cost miniaturized digital camera, costing just $30 / £30 and fashioned so that you can carry it on your keychain.
We are told that the design draws from the Kodak Fling disposable film camera from the 1980s - but in truth this is much smaller than this 110 cartridge camera, and although it is toy-like is not designed to be thrown away after use.
To add to the fun, the camera is sold in a 'blind box' - so you don't know which of the seven designs, each inspired by historical Kodak branding, until you buy it and open it up.
Kodak Charmera: Specifications
Photo Resolution | 1.6MP |
Video Resolution | 1440 x 1080 at 30 fps |
Image Sensor | 1/4-inch CMOS |
Selfie mirror | No |
Display | 0.8in LCD |
Touchscreen | No |
Battery | Rechargeable 200mAh |
Connections | USB-C |
Size (WHD) | 58 x 24.5 x 20mm |
Weight | 30g |
Kodak Charmera: Price
A limited number of these cameras went on sale in September, but sold out pretty much immediately - with some people buying a multipack including six different designs of the camera. B&H Photo is expecting to have stock by November 2025, when you can expect to pay $29.99 a piece. We expect this to prove a popular stocking stuffer for those looking for Christmas gifts for photographers this holiday season.
The manufacturer suggests that the camera is best suited to those aged 15+, however, I reckon this would also make a great gift for younger kids, although the use of the microSD card does mean that this is not a camera for very young children. Note that whatever your age, you will need to supply your own memory card to get the camera going.
Kodak Charmera: Design & handling
As the camera is not much bigger than my thumb, you don't expect to get many controls to play with. However, there are undoubtedly more than you'd expect. For starters, you get a diddy 0.8in LCD screen for framing, image replay, and for navigating the different options available.
Surprisingly, you also get a direct-view viewfinder at the back - which could in theory be useful for framing images in bright sunlight, where the screen we be difficult to use. This is essentially just a pair of holes through the camera's casing - but although these allow you to center the camera on your subject, it does not give a very accurate crop, so in my time with the camera, I persisted with the LCD display in all light conditions.
In addition to choosing between stills and video shooting, the main menu also gives you the option to add a date stamp to your stills, or a time stamp to your videos in the format of your choice.
Pleasingly, the Charmera has a built-in rechargeable battery, which is topped up using an easily accessible USB-C socket on the base. A USB-A to USB-C cable is provided in the box – but I just made do using my standard phone charger, to cut down on what I needed to take away during my trip to Malaga, where I tested the camera.
The socket is also OTG (on-the-go) compatible so that you should be able to link the camera to an Android phone, and access your images (I have an iPhone, so was not able to try this).
The microSD card slot is also at the base of the socket - and this is unprotected, so you should make sure that the camera does not get wet when you are using it.
Kodak Charmera: Performance
The camera is inevitably very easy to use - although handling something so small is more cumbersome than you might think. You also need to take care to look at the screen carefully… the icons are necessarily very small, so you need to double check that you have set the device to stills or video, and you also need to ensure you have not accidentally enabled one of the digital effects modes or digital frames. These frames are fun - and I particularly liked the look of some of the monochrome options - howeve,r I would hate to have this added to all my images in error.
Image quality is not great - but you wouldn't expect it to be. The 1/4in 1.6MP sensor is one of the smallest we have seen on a camera for some time. That being said, the images we got in your days away on the Spanish coast were a lot better than we feared.
The dynamic range is severely limited, but the overall effect you get with stills has a retro charm. Not only that we got pretty decent results in low light situations – as you will see from the interior cafe portraits and the image of a painting taken in a museum that are in the sample galleries below.
The provision of a keyring attachment (and the size) encourages you to carry the camera around in your pocket. But if you do, be warned that the rear screen gets scratched quite quickly.
Kodak Charmera: Sample Images
Kodak Charmera: Video
Above: two short sample videos shot with the Kodak Charmera
It is perhaps a surprise that the Kodak Charmera shoots video at all - but it does, using the full extant of the 1440x1080-pixel sensor to capture moving images, with sound. The quality of the video is more disappointing than that I go with with the stills - with the motion looking jerky.
Again, though there is a retro feel to the quality of the results - reminiscent of the footage my father got from his cine camera back in the 1970s - and for this reason along this facility has some appeal.
Kodak Charmera: Verdict
For $30/£30 this camera offers great value for money – offering a fun way in which to take photos in a novelty formfactor. The quality of the images is not particularly good - but better than expected. This won't replace your main camera, or your phone for taking shots – but it could well be one of the best fun and affordable gifts for the photographer we have used for a long time.
Features ★★☆☆☆ | This is as basic as it gets when it comes to digital cameras – although unlike some basic models, there is a built-in LCD screen. |
Design ★★★★☆ | The camera is designed to be fun to use - and to make a great gift. |
Performance ★★★☆☆ | With a 1.5 megapixel sensor, we didn't expect much from the image quality. But in truth the quality was better than expected |
Value ★★★★★ | As a novelty gift, or for your own fun, this is well worth the $30/£30 asking price |
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